Official Lost Podcast transcript/April 10, 2006
Lost theme Kris White: Welcome fans, friends, and family. This is the Official Lost Podcast on abc.com... Or is it? This may all just be in your head... Geez, you'd think you'd have a better host than this... Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse join the podcast later to ponder such mind bending questions, you know, the type you haven't thought of since that one night in college when Dark Side of the Moon was on repeat, and you mused, "What if this cookie was really a biscuit, man?" Of course, the writers will also be taking your fan questions and contemplating this week's occurrence, "S.O.S." which airs Wednesday, April 12th, from 9 to 10 pm on ABC. First up, though, we have an exclusive interview with Yunjin Kim, who plays Sun. Now that's someone I'd like stuck in my head. music of Sun and Kate talking about taking a pregnancy test in "The Whole Truth" Kris White: Along with Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Jin, Yunjin Kim, no relation, plays one of the many characters on Lost whose native tongue is not English. While many of us have taken it for granted by now, mainly because of Lost's great storytelling, Yunjin reveals that she was just a little nervous about their flashbacks being almost exclusively in Korean. After all, who likes to read while watching TV? Yunjin Kim: I think it's a big deal. I think, as far as I know, I think it's the first time that American televisions had so much of a different language being spoken and American, you know, audience having to sit at home, not even in a movie theater but sitting at home and having to read subtitles. We were really afraid and when we were showing our very first episode where we had half of it was in Korean, and we thought oh my god, people are not gonna watch us, we're gonna... total disgrace, you know, like Lost's ratings- Interviewer: chuckles Yunjin Kim: ...you know, we're totally gonna drop, no one's gonna pay attention. But in the beginning, the network, ABC didn't say a word. They actually liked it. So we were surprised. Interviewer: Mm-hmm. Yunjin Kim: And then after it aired, they actually loved it. They really loved the fact they had to read... Interviewer: chuckles Yunjin Kim: ...subtitles. And they thought it drew them more into our story- Interviewer: Hmm. Yunjin Kim: --than just having to sit back and listen and that's all you do. So I mean this is really a sort of interesting experience, and I'm glad I'm doing it on this particular, you know, show. of Sun questioning Jin as he washes blood off his hands in "House of the Rising Sun" Kris White: Of course, the one country where it wasn't a surprise that Sun and Jin spoke Korean? ...Korea. What'd you think I was gonna say, Newfoundland? Yunjin Kim: It's very interesting. When it was on, the first season Lost was on KBS, which is one of the networks. And now it's on one of the cable shows, which is better because now they have subtitles, and they'll use our voices. Interviewer: Mm-hmm. Yunjin Kim: But like when I- when we speak Korean, obviously they don't need to dub over us. Interviewer: Right. Yunjin Kim: But then I start speaking English, so they had to find someone with sort of a husky voice, which is sort of hard to find back in Korea because everyone, I don't know, I sound very... not masculine, but I've got a different type of voice tone than most Korean women have out there, so they had a hard time trying to find someone to sort of match my voice and- Interviewer: Mm-hmm. Yunjin Kim: And so that was very interesting. But now it's on CGV, which is one of the cable networks. And they just, you know, have our own voices, and they just have subtitles. So I think it works out a lot better because when you have it dubbed and when we're speaking Korean and like the English speakers, they don't underst- Americans, they don't understand us. So we're speaking- Just imagine us all speaking Korean. Interviewer: chuckles Yunjin Kim: And they can't understand us, so that element really did not work, the fact that we didn't speak English in the very beginning. Interviewer: Right. Yunjin Kim: Um... So I just thought it was hilarious. Kris White: Incidentally, other countries broadcasting Lost have also encountered a similar problem with decidedly unique solutions. In France, for example, Rousseau's French transmission from the pilot was translated to German. The one thing that transcends all languages though? Practical jokes. Yunjin Kim: The very first shot you see, I'm looking at myself in the mirror, and then Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Jin, calls me to come and join him, like, "Hi honey, aren't you coming to bed?" But of course he says it in Korean. Every time I stepped out, there was another guy- Interviewer: laughs Yunjin Kim: --on the bed. So Daniel was using, of course, his voice to call me every time. It's like they switched all the guys. And like we did, I don't know, seven takes of it. Last person was Joyce- Interviewer: laughs Yunjin Kim: --our wonderful beautiful AD. (???) cracked me up every time, and then I had to take like a moment to settle myself because I'm supposed to look sad in the mirror. Interviewer: chuckles Yunjin Kim: But I mean, the camera wasn't rolling (???), the DVD(?) person, you know, Dan, he wasn't around so I was like, "Oh this should be on tape," because it was so funny. The whole crew, they were like in line trying to get in bed. Interviewer: chuckles Kris White: Even though the actors have access to the writers, well, more than most people do, it doesn't mean they get their questions answered any faster than the audience does. And for Yunjin, that drives her crazy. Yunjin Kim: Every time I get the script, the new script for the new episode, wherever I am, I just stop myself, stop everything, and I just rip through the script because I'm so curious as- not just because I'm on the show, but just as, you know, someone who really likes watching the show, find out, you know, what's gonna happen to all these characters. Kris White: Lucky for us, we can get some answers... sometimes. For that, we turn it over to executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, introduced by their brand new unnamed theme music which one fan lovingly dubbed The Pod Squad. theme music Carlton Cuse: Hello, Damon. Damon Lindelof: Hiii, Carlton. Carlton Cuse: Well, here we are. It's time for another podcast, I guess. Damon Lindelof: snickers It... it sure is. Carlton Cuse: chuckles Was that exciting enough? Damon Lindelof: It is. Carlton Cuse: No, we're very excited to talk about "Dave." Damon Lindelof: Uh... yeah. Well, that was last week's episode, and we'll be, I guess, looking forward towards "S.O.S." Carlton Cuse: That's right. Damon Lindelof: This week's episode. Carlton Cuse: Exactly. So, what kind of feedback did you get? Do you think people saw the big twist coming that Dave was imaginary? Damon Lindelof: I, uh... Well, you know, I guess imaginary is all relative. There are some people who say that you're imaginary, Carlton. Carlton Cuse: snickers Damon Lindelof: And in fact, when they listen to these podcasts, I'm just talking to myself. Carlton Cuse: You do actually both voices really quite well. Damon Lindelof: It is quite phenomenal. There is a photograph of me with my arm around nothing. Carlton Cuse: Of course, it could be that I'm actually you, doing your voice as me. Damon Lindelof: So which of us is imaginary then? Carlton Cuse: Uh... That's a good question. Damon Lindelof: What if- Carlton Cuse: Maybe we should poll the readers. Damon Lindelof: What if the whole show was imaginary? Carlton Cuse: Viewers. Listeners. laughs Whatever they are! Damon Lindelof: What if the show was imaginary and made up? Carlton Cuse: Could this podcast merely be taking place in my head? Could I actually be locked in a mental hospital somewhere? Damon Lindelof: How would one listen to an imaginary podcast? Well, you know, I guess imaginary is all relative. Carlton Cuse: It is. Damon Lindelof: That's the moral of the story. Um... Carlton Cuse: And that was sort of the moral of "Dave," isn't it? Damon Lindelof: Yeah, I mean obviously I think what was really cool about that episode is at the end of it, you know, we sort of had Dave advance out that this was all happening in Hurley's head and sort of download a possible theory, um... about the Numbers that would sort of explain everything, but then at the end of the episode, sort of Libby comes and sort of in a very emotionally grounded way pokes a very significant hole in that theory which is: If this were all in your head, how would I remember experiences that you have no recollection of? Which is a very salient point. Unfortunately, for Libby- Carlton Cuse: However, she's in a mental hospital- Damon Lindelof: Yeah, exactly. The person who has now grounded the show back in reality for us seemed to have been in the same mental hospital as Hurley. So what does that say? Maybe Libby's imaginary? Carlton Cuse: Oh god. It's kind of- It's mirrors within mirrors, isn't it? Damon Lindelof: It gives me a headache. Carlton Cuse: It really does. I think- Damon Lindelof: We really need to start writing that werewolf taking car show, Carnivore. Carlton Cuse: chuckles Exac- Carnivore. Damon Lindelof: I love it. Carlton Cuse: That's fantastic. And, you know, stories will come very easy on that show. Damon Lindelof: We have to figure out what kind of accent the car will have though 'cause it's like, you know, in- Carlton Cuse: Latvian! Damon Lindelof: Yeah, a Latvian accent- Carlton Cuse: A Latvian car, I think would be very good Damon Lindelof: accent (???) you have left some fur on the front seat... Joseph. Carlton Cuse: laughs Damon Lindelof: It has to be like a really kind of whiny Latvian car. Carlton Cuse: Was that Latvian? Damon Lindelof: I don't know. That was my best attempt. Carlton Cuse: I would like to know actually what a Latvian accent sounds like. Damon Lindelof: I believe- Carlton Cuse: I'm sure that guy- Damon Lindelof: Yeah. Carlton Cuse: --who wrote the qu- Andrew Dashko is gonna probably be sending- Send us a tape of some Latvian- Damon Lindelof: Yeah, I will not be opening up any mail laughs from Latvia anytime soon based on my comments today. Carlton Cuse: Exactly. Damon Lindelof: Sorry. Carlton Cuse: So- Damon Lindelof: It's bad enough that the city of Tallahassee hates us. Carlton Cuse: I know. Well, why is that? Damon Lindelof: I think it's a long and involved story, Carlton, and I'll- Carlton Cuse: We'll get to that sometime. Damon Lindelof: All I'll say on the record is it's your fault- Carlton Cuse: laughs Damon Lindelof: --and that I love Tallahassee with all- Carlton Cuse: You don't though. Damon Lindelof: I- Carlton Cuse: No, you don't. Damon Lindelof: They started it. Carlton Cuse: They started it... by being nice to us. Damon Lindelof: Um... looking forward- Carlton Cuse: So- Damon Lindelof: --to "S.O.S." What- Carlton Cuse: "S.O.S." Yes. Damon Lindelof: Why is it called "S.O.S." Carlton? Carlton Cuse: Save Our Ship Damon Lindelof: Why- but there- They don't have a ship. Carlton Cuse: Uh... Well, I think it's because this is a Rose and Bernard episode, and Bernard has something in mind involving S.O.S. Damon Lindelof: Why would they... Why would they- What if the people who are looking for them don't speak English? Carlton Cuse: snickers Damon Lindelof: And they wouldn't understand what S.O.S. meant. Carlton Cuse: What is S.O.S. in Latvian? Damon Lindelof: I- Carlton Cuse: I suppose like, you know, can you actually trace like Cyrillic Russian? That would have been much cooler if we'd had him actually trace Cyrillic letters in the sand. Damon Lindelof: That would be much cooler. But I think what's great about this episode this week is it's Rose and Bernard's story which- Carlton Cuse: It is. Damon Lindelof: --the fans have been sort of looking for. We've done a lot of- Carlton Cuse: crying Damon Lindelof: Carlton- Carlton Cuse: I'm just crying already 'cause it's- I know it's gonna be emotional. Damon Lindelof: It's a weeper. And they're great. And we've done a lot of crazy mythological stuff in the last couple weeks, and it's sort of- Carlton Cuse: Crazy! Damon Lindelof: Crazy, crazy, crazy. It's good to get sort of down to brass tacks and sort of just see- I think another thing that a lot of people ask us is: What are all those people doing in the background? And we feel that Bernard really speaks for those without voices. Carlton Cuse: The disenfranchised background people. He is- Damon Lindelof: So we'll kind of see what the socks are all up to. Carlton Cuse: He is sort of the king of the socks. Damon Lindelof: And keep your ears peeled for Neil Frogurt, who will, you know, I think it's the first official mention of Frogurt. Carlton Cuse: The ear. Ears peeled, not eyes. Damon Lindelof: Yeah, exactly. Carlton Cuse: We're not gonna- Neil- We're not just giving you a visual on Neil that easily. Damon Lindelof: And we've also got a little bit of Kate and Jack action, a little- Things are heating up between those two. Carlton Cuse: We do, that's- There's some good stuff with them in this episode. This is very good. It's a very emotional episode, and uh... you know, I'm gonna cry. Are you? Damon Lindelof: I'm crying right now- Carlton Cuse: That's fantastic. Damon Lindelof: --on the inside, as I talk to my imaginary self. What if I'm my own imaginary friend? Carlton Cuse: Well, that would be kind of sad, wouldn't it? Damon Lindelof: pause Yes. Carlton Cuse: snickers Damon Lindelof: I suppose it would. How about we move onto questions, Carlton! Carlton Cuse: It's time for questions! Damon Lindelof: Cue the fanfare. fanfare Carlton Cuse: Oh, that's fantastic. Damon Lindelof: May I start, Carlton? Carlton Cuse: Oh go ahead, sure. Damon Lindelof: Carlton, this is from Sawyer- Carlton Cuse: No, let me- No, you go ahead. Damon Lindelof: Please. This is from Sawyer5665, who has 894 posts in the last 90 days. Carlton Cuse: Wow. Damon Lindelof: You know- Carlton Cuse: That's- Damon Lindelof: Just to compare Sawyer with the other people on this question sheet, we have AstroTorf, who had 10 posts in the last 90 days, TVAddact, who had 3 posts in the last 90 days, not much of an addict, are you? Carlton Cuse: That's a lot of posts. Damon Lindelof: And S. Steiger with 1 post in the last 90 days. It would seem that Sawyer5665 with 894 posts- Let's do the math there. Carlton Cuse: I'd be very careful about how I answer this question. Damon Lindelof: That is essentially an average of 10 posts a day. Um, so the subject heading here, Carlton, is "Where are you Eko?" "Two straight episodes without even one shot of Eko? Come on!" pause That's the question. chuckles Carlton Cuse: Eko's there. He's been hanging out with Rose and Bernard and the socks, so- Damon Lindelof: Are we gonna see him this week? Carlton Cuse: We are definitely gonna see him this week. Damon Lindelof: All right. That's all I really care about. Carlton Cuse: And, uh- Damon Lindelof: So, ironically, Sawyer5665 asked that question. Carlton Cuse: Yeah, I mean, wasn't he more concerned about Sawyer? Damon Lindelof: I guess not. Carlton Cuse: I guess that's the other 890,000 posts. Damon Lindelof: Carlton likes Eko too. Carlton Cuse: I do too. I really do. Damon Lindelof: I love Eko. Carlton Cuse: Eko is fantastic. Damon Lindelof: He's not imaginary. Carlton Cuse: He is not. So, Damon- Damon Lindelof: But then again, I- if I were imaginary, I wouldn't even be saying that, right? Carlton Cuse: I'm gonna ask my alter ego other personality my- use my other voice here to ask- well, ask myself this question then answer it in- Damon Lindelof: What does your other- Carlton Cuse: --in Damon's voice. Damon Lindelof: What does your other voice sound like? Is that the high-pitched voice? Carlton Cuse: high-pitched "Sun's pregnancy-" Damon Lindelof: Oh, no, no. Don't read it like that, please. Carlton Cuse: No, I'm not doing that. Damon Lindelof: Okay. Carlton Cuse: That's- That'd be pretty much it. Damon Lindelof: Yes. Carlton Cuse: Then we'll never get that morning drive show that we want after we get off this show. Damon Lindelof: I got a- We got an offer fr- in Austin, Texas. Carlton Cuse: We're holding out for Cleveland. Damon Lindelof: Yeah. Carlton Cuse: Morning drive in Cleveland. Damon Lindelof: Cleveland, we're coming. Carlton Cuse: We're coming to Cleveland, 6 to 10 in Cleveland every morning. Damon Lindelof: I want a horn- Carlton Cuse: Mornings, mornings, mornings in Cleveland! Damon Lindelof: Can we do like funny sound effects? Carlton Cuse: Absolutely. Damon Lindelof: That's what we need, the guy who does funny sound effects. All right, ask your question. Carlton Cuse: Kris wants to go to Cleveland with us. Damon Lindelof: Do you have any questions about Sun? Carlton Cuse: "Sun's pregnancy from an Other" by muravol Damon Lindelof: Mm-hmm. Carlton Cuse: 40 posts in the last 90 days. Damon Lindelof: Impressive. Carlton Cuse: "This may be a stupid thought, but since Sun's husband is not able to bear children, how could Sun be pregnant from him?" Damon Lindelof: snickers Wait a minute. Say that- Ask that question again. Carlton Cuse: "May be a stupid thought, but since Sun's husband is not able to bear children-" Damon Lindelof: Now, okay, giggles I'm just gonna stop you right there. Are you able to bear children, Carlton? 'Cause I know I'm not. Carlton Cuse: giggles Not- Damon Lindelof: In fact, I know it's Lost, but if Jin were able to bear children, that would be a problem. But let's move on. Carlton Cuse: Then seemingly in contradiction to the first part of the question, "How can Sun be pregnant from him? They called it a miracle, but we all know it's unlikely. Someone on the boards once mentioned that Charlie could possibly be an Other. Does anyone think that Charlie could have turned into an Other when he was kidnapped by the Others? Could he have done something to Sun when he tried to do a fake kidnapping, as in impregnate her?" Damon Lindelof: snickers Carlton Cuse: "Sounds weird, but Charlie's been acting very strange lately." giggles Damon Lindelof: I... You lost me where Jin was bearing children, which would be a great episode but- Carlton Cuse: I think actually Charlie impregnated Jin. Damon Lindelof: Yeah, I'm gonna go on re- Carlton Cuse: And that's gonna be- that's a big revelation in the season finale. Damon Lindelof: I know that we do a lot of hemming and hawing, Carlton, and we get accused of never answering- Carlton Cuse: No, I hem, and you haw. Damon Lindelof: That's true. Or I don't exist, and you hem and haw. But I will answer this question in a definitive fashion, and I will say categorically that Charlie is not an Other. Carlton Cuse: Yes, he is not an Other. And I will say categorically that Jin is not pregnant. Damon Lindelof: Yeah, he cannot bear children. Carlton Cuse: That's right. He cannot- Damon Lindelof: Yet. Carlton Cuse: --bear children... yet. Until the zombie season. Damon Lindelof: Oh! It's a great thing that you asked that question, Carlton, because my question for you is from TheSidemoKid22, and he says, "I know you've stated that people are not gonna come back as zombies. Thank god because that sounds so B-movie. But I have to make an observation. You keep talking about zombie this and zombie that and this whole Season 7, the zombie season. I was wondering where that all came from. I know that on the old Hanso Foundation website, you could input the code TheIslandIsWaiting and read the lost script page, and it mentions zombies. Did I miss a podcast? Did someone bring that up? Or did your zombie tangent come completely by coincidence?" Carlton Cuse: Well, there's a lot there to really get into. We don't have time to really do the full zombie- Damon Lindelof: Yeah. Maybe after- Carlton Cuse: --download today. Damon Lindelof: We should eat some brains and then get back to that. Carlton Cuse: You know, first off, I'd just say that, you know, future tripping about Season 7, as we're finishing Season 2, you really shouldn't get that far ahead of us, you know, really, season- You know, by the time Season 7 comes along, you're gonna pray that it's only zombies. Damon Lindelof: Right, I mean, when Jin gives birth in Season 6- Carlton Cuse: chuckles Damon Lindelof: --which is gonna be a- Carlton Cuse: You'll be thinking, "Thank god the show's grounded, and they're only doing zombie stories." Damon Lindelof: Yeah, it's a watershed moment. That's when we- They jumped the shark after Jin gave birth, and then the zombie season came and bought it all back. Carlton Cuse: Exactly. Thank god for the zombie season, which brought everything back to a nice calm rational place. Damon Lindelof: I think we have time for one more question, Carlton. Carlton Cuse: Let me just say... No, it's kind of a joke, really. The zombie stuff, it's kind of a joke. Damon Lindelof: Is it? Carlton Cuse: Is it? Or maybe it isn't. Damon Lindelof: We'll see. Carlton Cuse: Or maybe it's a coincidence. Damon Lindelof: It really depends on how you define the word zombie. Carlton Cuse: Or joke. Damon Lindelof: chuckles Exactly. Carlton Cuse: All right. "Hi, I'm from Latvia" No, sorry. Um... here's a- This is by Lull89, Damon. "Hi guys. I think this is a great opportunity, and I just wanted to take advantage of it. Here's my question. If a theory became very popular and was very accurate, what would you do? Would you admit it, change the show, or ignore it? Thanks, lull89." Damon Lindelof: Interesting. That's an interesting question. Uh... Obviously, it depends on what the theory was. We believe that, you know, we have our own theories and answers for the show, and if somebody were to tap into and figure out what it was we were doing, we would not course correct just because we had been spoiled. Carlton Cuse: Yeah. Damon Lindelof: Um, there are a lot of different theories out there, many of which incorporate some parts of what's actually going on but then sort of spin off into Crazyville. Carlton Cuse: I think if you actually got lucky enough to hit on the right answer, you would just feel happy that, you know, and you would feel vindicated as the stories unfold and you found out that you were right. Damon Lindelof: And of course, we would have to kill you as well. Carlton Cuse: snickers Damon Lindelof: I mean, that's the sort of downside. I mean, if your theory were right, we would have to, you know, we'd have to make sure that you weren't going around and telling people about it. Carlton Cuse: We'll send someone out to you who has posted at least 800 times. Damon Lindelof: Right. Carlton Cuse: And that's not somebody you want to see come knocking at your door. Damon Lindelof: Yeah. We probably wouldn't kill you as much as- Carlton Cuse: No. Damon Lindelof: --sort of like- Carlton Cuse: Just don't say that. Damon Lindelof: --send you a package from Latvia. Carlton Cuse: That's a joke. Damon Lindelof: Yeah. Carlton Cuse: We'll send you something from Latvia. Damon Lindelof: Exactly. Carlton Cuse: Well, thank you guys. This has really been fun. And, you know, I hope you're really proud of how well I've done my Damon voice today. I've worked on it all week, and, um, you know, I think I've got it down pretty good. So next week Damon will actually be back in person to join me for this podcast. But in the mean time, thank you... Damon Lindelof: Heh. Carlton Cuse: ...Damon. Damon Lindelof: And I'd just like to say that my name is Carlton, and I'm a very, very sad man. And when I said I threw my maracas away last week, I was lying. In fact, I have them in my hands right now... And I'm moving very, very slowly so you won't hear them shaking around. chuckles Carlton Cuse: All right, well, we'll see you soon. Damon Lindelof: Okay, bye guys. Carlton Cuse: Bye. Damon Lindelof: That wraps up this podcast. Even though Lost is in repeats for a few weeks, you can still submit your fan questions and find other material to hold you over at lost.abc.com. "S.O.S." airs Wednesday, April 12th, from 9 to 10 pm only on ABC. The show then returns on April 26th with a brand new recap episode entitled "Reckoning." soundtrack music